February may be the shortest month of the year, but not at Vento!
What went down in February: we welcomed a new ace to our investment team - say hello to Tommi! We've locked in an incredible headliner for the next Italian Tech Week (October 1-3, mark your calendars!) - and no, we can't spill the beans just yet, but we've given them the code name "Pippo" - feel free to use it too! We made 5 new investments, they are still under wraps, but we're super excited about them. Speaking of announcements, we've been cooking up something special that's dropping next week. It's something really close to our hearts that we've been working on for many, many months, so keep an eye on our socials!
Last but not least: February is when Marco hits peak happiness during Sanremo week. We spent the week jamming to Brancale and Topo Gigio, and to celebrate, Didi decided to pick up the ukulele and is preparing a performance for ITW's opening (currently limited to a very basic version of "You Are My Sunshine").
So we're wondering: what could happen in a leap year? 🤔
🌎 News from Vento
Our portfolio keeps growing. Here’s a sneak peek on one of our latest deals:
Focoos AI
What does Focoos AI do? Building and deploying computer vision models has traditionally been complex, requiring specialized expertise and significant computing resources. Focoos AI removes these barriers by offering a no-code platform that allows businesses to train and deploy ultra-efficient computer vision models in minutes.
Who? Antonio Tavera, who holds a PhD in Deep Learning from Politecnico di Torino and an MBA from MIB Trieste School of Management, combines expertise with Fabio Cermelli, with a PhD from Politecnico di Torino and experience as a Research Fellow at the Istituto Italiano di Ricerca.
🔮Wisdom Pills from our Network
Everyone loves a good speech, the kind that makes you stop and rethink your approach. That’s exactly what happened at Italian Tech Week when Chris Gibson, CEO of Recursion, shared a lesson that many technical founders learn too late: building a company isn’t just about science, technology, or even the pursuit of truth. It’s about people.
Italian Tech Week 2024 featured a compelling talk by Chris Gibson, CEO of Recursion, who urged technical founders to embrace a skill often underestimated: leadership.
His words were a wake up call for anyone navigating the world of deep tech and innovation:
Truth in science is absolute, truth in people is not. In science, there’s a clear line between what’s real and what isn’t. In leadership, truth is subjective, shaped by perception, emotion, and relationships. Ignoring this difference is a mistake that can lead to misalignment, friction, and ultimately, chaos.
Managing people isn’t a distraction, it’s the job. Many founders focus relentlessly on their product, believing the tech will speak for itself. But great technology without great leadership is a recipe for dysfunction. The ability to coach, inspire, and align a team is what turns an idea into a movement.
If you don’t invest in leadership, you’ll pay the price. Leadership isn’t something you can pick up later when things slow down, because they never do. Failing to develop these skills early means facing a crisis later, one that can take years to recover from.
Chris’s message was clear: science may drive innovation, but leadership builds companies. Founders need to ask themselves, not just what they’re building, but who They’re becoming as leaders.
🫵 We want you! (Openings)
Looking for growth opportunities? Our companies are looking for bright individuals.
Give it a shot!
Holifya is looking for a Growth Manager.
Futura is looking for a Growth Specialist.
Range Biotechnologies is looking for a Associate Scientist - Reagent Development.
🤝 The Network Effect (only for our Portfolio Companies)
We are not just a fund: we are a partner. And we support our founders to the best of our abilities. How do we do it? Well, among other things we create synergies with companies to offer dedicated perks and help our founders work better, spending less!
🖥️ Empower your whole team to get answers from your database with Trever.io. Query data in just a few clicks, share the results, or stream them to Google Sheets to create dashboards. Startups in the Vento network can use a code for 33% off Trevor for your first paid 3 months.
🗂️ Optimize customer management with Brevo. With Vento, you can have 75% off your annual marketing plan.
📐 Manage your work with Asana. Host all your processes and information in one place so nothing falls through the cracks. With Vento, the 6-month free Advanced plan is waiting for you.
To get to these perks and 50+ other partnerships we have in place:
✨ The 3 Ls: Learned, Loved, Laughed
🤓 Learned
Big Idea 2025 - Ark Invest;
Scaling to 100M ARR - BVP;
😍 Loved
How does Grok 3, xAI’s latest model, stack up against the competition? Let’s dive in;
Mira Murati is back with a new venture - meet Thinking Machines;
Crafting the perfect prompt? Here’s a guide straight from the OpenAI co-founder.
😂 Laughed
As part of our venture-building journey, we’re organizing a special retreat - an opportunity to step away from the grind, reconnect with ourselves, and gain fresh perspectives with the help of a coach. The setting? Deep in nature, far from the city noise, where creativity (and maybe a little self-discovery) can truly flourish.
But before we send an entire batch of ambitious founders into the wild, we needed an inspection. Enter Elena and a fellow colleague, venturing into this serene, untouched landscape. Everything was going smoothly, until Elena, momentarily without her glasses, spotted two small, blurry creatures in the distance.
“Look at the cats!” she said with full confidence.
A beat of silence. Then the realization hit.
They weren’t cats. They were two very confused little pigs. 🐷🐷
Whether it was a vision of a parallel startup universe or just an unexpected encounter with rural wildlife, one thing is clear: this retreat is already shaping up to be an adventure. 🌿🚀
🦄 If you
If you work in VC and want to receive updates about our Portfolio Companies, get in touch with us here.
If you are a founder and you are fundraising, apply here.
If you want to be a founder but don’t know where to start, click here.